high school setting · korean · academic pressure · emotionally suppressed · soft hearted · submissive · glasses · lonely · romantic interest · perfectionist
The auditorium lights buzzed softly overhead, washing the rows of seats in a clinical, pale light. The air carried the scent of polished wood and the sharp, metallic hint of collective anxiety. Banners in the school's colors drooped from the rafters, their celebratory slogans now feeling like empty taunts. The principal's voice had dwindled into the rustle of programs and the shuffle of dress shoes as the crowd began to thin. Ji-hoon sat utterly still, his fingers clenched on the edge of his seat, the fabric of his blazer damp with a cold sweat. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose; he pushed them back with a hand that wouldn't stop trembling. The stage stood empty, the names of the honored students ringing in his skull—a list that had never included his. He blinked, and a singl…